Willoughby w



(ModeL) W. W; PHILLIPS.

Gate.

No. 242,149; Patented May 31,1881.

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mihes 5 e5 fizz/ey zi ar g gg WWW 2a m I k/ f I (I 1 M I v fig UNITED .STATES PATENT OFFICE- WILLOUGHBY W. PHILLIPS, OF SHONGO, NEW YORK.

GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 242,149, dated May 31, 1881.

Application filed March 23, 1881. (ModeL) To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLOUGHBY W. PHIL- LIPs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Shongo,in the countyof Allegany and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvem'entsin Gates; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or H guresof reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved gate, and Figs. 2, 3, and 4 are detail views of the same.

This invention has relation to that class of gates which may be termed cranegates, having for its object, among other things, to support and permit of the sliding of the gate independently of but upon the crane, and to enable the gate-adjusting mechanism to act automatically as the gate is elevated or placed at the desired height to swing clear of snow or other obstruction in the way of the opening of the gate; and it consists of the detailed construction and combination of parts, substantially as hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, A indicates the gate, in the main of the usual construction of this class of gates, and having affixed upon its top edge a horizontal board, a, with its sides projecting beyond the gate and forming flanges.

To the gate is provided alatch, B, in the form of a lever, with the preponderance of weight on the forward arm of the lever, to cause the automatic descent of that end of the lever when the hand is removed from its knob b. It is pivoted at or near its middle to a suitable lug fixed on the horizontal bar a, next to the top bar, a of the gate, and is so constructed that it is carried back under the upper bar of the crane when the gate is slid back in the act of opening. At the rear end of the leverB is a cut-away portion to form a shoulder, b,which, when the forward end of the lever is let fall,

passes up in front of a cross-bar of the crane to preventendwise movement of the gate when the gate is closed, and thus prevent the disengagement of its catch or tongue 0 from the mortised gate-post C.

It is obvious that by lifting the forward or knob end of the lever or latch B its rear or shouldered end will be freed from the crane, by which the gate is connected to the hinge post, and the gate can then he slid back sufficientl y to disengage its catch or tongue from the post 0 and permit of the opening of the gate.

D is the crane, which consists of upright end bars, (I (1, each duplicated, as seen in Figs. 2 and 3,connected together by diagonal parallel bars d and a horizontal bar, 01 secured between the upright parallel bars d d a short distance below their upper ends. Within the parallel bars (1 d are hun g frictional rolls 01 01 arranged in the same horizontal plane, and upon which the gate is supported and adapted to have endwise movement. Cleats arranged one between the oblique bars d at (1 and the others, d al arranged respectively between the lower ends of the uprights d, and near the lower ends of the uprights d, serve to hold the gate in position upon its rolls in the crane.

,Eyes or staples e e are fastened to one side of the rear end of the crane D, to enable the hang ing of the latter upon a staple-shaped rod, f, with its bent ends secured in the post E, and thus allow the gate to be slid past the post.

Upon the inside of the hinge-post E is the gate-adj ust-ingdevice,which consists of parallel notched or toothed plates F fastened to the sides of a correspondingly-notched bar, F, with intermediate recesses 9 between the teeth of the parallel plates F, as clearlyseen in Fig. 3, to receive the rod f, as shown in the same figure, when supporting the gate-crane upon plates F. The device F F is linked to the outstanding projection or piece F on the post E by pivoted links F to enable the deviceFF to move toward and away from and embrace the rod f upon which the crane is hung. The device F F is so connected to the ofiset on the post as to permit its links F to occupy an up wardly-inclincd position, by which it will be noticed that as the gate is lifted the said device will readily move inwardly and upwardly and permit the upper eye of the crane to pass the coincident tooth of the said device, when the latter will automatically return to its former position and catch and support the crane-eye upon the top of the said tooth, upon which it may be supported upon releasing the gate. In like manner the gate may be adjusted to any tooth above, and thus permit of holding it at any desired height necessary to enable it to swing clear of snow orother obstruction in the way ofopeningit. Theparallel projectingteeth of the automatic ratchet drop on opposite sides of and embrace the rod 1'. In this position the eye of the gate-hinge rests and turns directly on the teeth. The gate is thus brought close to the gate-post, and there is no liability to got broken or knocked out of position.

It will be further noticed that the gate is supported upon and moves independently of the crane by which it is connected to the hingepost. between the upper ends of the pairs of vertical side bars, (I (I, and the upper ends of said vertical bars abut against the projecting edges of the horizontal cap a. Between and near the lowerends oi' the vertical bars (1 the cleat or supporting-block (I is fixed, so that the lower edge of the gate-board a next the bottom board rests on it, while the extreme ends of said vertical bars are carried below the block (I and embraces the bottom board between them, The gate is thus supported so that it is prevented from sagging or in anywise getting out of order, so that it would be hindered or obstructed when slid back through the crane. The several supports and bearingsarranged in the crane are arranged as counter-supports, which give stability and permanency to theconstruction of the erane,so that the latter will not The gate a has its upper bar, (1?, placed I easily get out of order. Being thus staunchly made, and all the parts well supported, I am enabled to fix the hinge-eyes on the side of the crane and hinge the gate to the side of the post, so that the said gate may he slid back past the side of the post, and thus obviate the necessity for a double post, as is required in sliding gates of ordinary construction.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination, with a sliding gate and its supporting-crane, ot' a latch B, constructed with one of its ends heavier than the other, and pivoted at or near its middle to one of the horizontal bars of the gate, and sliding back into the crane with the gate when thelatter is opened and when the gate is closed, and, dropping automatically, bringing its inner end to abut against the outer end of the horizontal bar of the crane, and thus locking the gate, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the gate provided with hinge-eyes, and the rod or extended pintlef, iixed on the post- E, of the automatic ratchet or pawl l, pivoted to the post, and constructed with parallel teeth, which drop on opposite sides 01 and embrace the rod or pintlef and support the hinge-eye ot' the gate, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature in presence of two witnesses on this 14th day of March, 1881.

WILLOIIGIIBY \V. PHILLIPS. Witnesses:

B. M. PHILLIPS, IsAAo S'ronr. 

